The Islamic State (IS) group, also known as ISIS, has allegedly urged its supporters to ignite fires at churches and synagogues in various countries, including the UK, this Easter weekend. The call for attacks across Europe, Russia, UAE, Syria, Tunisia, and Morocco during the Easter holidays was reportedly made in the most recent issue of IS’s weekly al-Naba newsletter as a response to the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, according to reports from the Express. The extremist group also claimed responsibility for causing 60 casualties in “15 operations” over the past week.
Israeli authorities shut down Al-Aqsa Mosque in late February, citing a “security situation” amid the US-Israeli tensions with Iran. They have also banned large gatherings at significant sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall in Jerusalem. This action led Muslim worshippers to assemble outside the Old City walls for Eid prayers during Ramadan to be as near as possible to the mosque.
During the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in February, Israel limited the entry of Palestinians from the West Bank to 10,000 people, allowing only men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12. Contrasting this, during the same Ramadan prayers in March last year, approximately 90,000 Palestinians prayed at the mosque under strict Israeli security.
The hilltop hosting Al-Aqsa Mosque, recognized as the third-holiest site in Islam, is referred to as the Noble Sanctuary by Muslims and as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism due to its ancient biblical temples, by Jews. The area has frequently been a focal point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority has criticized the prolonged closure of the mosque, now in its 34th day, expressing worries about extremist settlers demanding access to the closed site for rituals during Passover in April, as reported by the Palestine News Agency.
In protest against Israeli actions, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Palm Sunday. Spain responded by summoning Israel’s top diplomat to Madrid, emphasizing the importance of normal Catholic worship practices.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Qatar, among others, have condemned what they perceive as ongoing Israeli constraints on Muslim and Christian worship in Jerusalem.
IS’s newsletter also touched on Palestinian prisoners and their ordeals in Israeli penitentiaries. This follows Israel’s parliament’s approval of a contentious law that would make the death penalty the standard sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks.
